La Renaissance Du Coeur
by seethesunlight346
Summary: A collection of one-shots surrounding the life of Denise and Moray. These will be in a random order, taking place during and after the t-v show/book. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The Passionate Silence

Denise let out a deep sigh. Things were only going to get worse she thought, for her and Moray only seemed to fight more everyday. It was not her fault that she was an ambitious woman, she loved Moray deeply but she loved him because he respected her, treated her as he would another male but since she had gotten the job as the head of ladies wear, there seemed to be a rivalry between them, a competition of some sort.

It was the end of the day and Denise was in her room, the candles were softly lit, illuminating the room; the only movement was that of Denise, as she moved to sit on the chair. She looked in the mirror in front of her as she took her hair down, her elaborate blond up-do unravelled into a beautiful, yet simple mass of gentle waves flowing down her back.

Her sombre mood matched that of Moray, who was still sitting in his office, his head resting between his hands, as if he expected his brain to give him an answer. What was he to do? Oh nothing was going right! He left The Paradise so he could be with Denise but now that he was back to claim what was once his, would he lose Denise again in the process? Why does he need to choose between the two?

Tom Weston vexed him greatly, Tom had not started up the store, nor had he spent hours begging people for financial investment, nor did he have people laugh in his face when he told them that The Paradise would be nothing like what they had seen before.

He decided to do something, if he let things slip by he would lose her again, and what would he do if that happened? The paradise would still exist but he would not, _his_ paradise would turn into hell; he didn't want to turn into Edmund who had waited around for Audrey most of his life, indecision wasted time.

Thus, John stood up from his chair and for a split second his eyes met those of Hélène he smiled at her portrait, she would be happy for him he thought. Soon he would have to take the painting down but Hélène would always remain in his heart, more of a friend than a lover, but nonetheless he respected her deeply.

Where would she be, he wondered? It was Friday night, and everyone else would probably be down in the pub, drinking away their sorrows, but not his Denise. He walked down to the rooms where the workers lived, and as Denise had been upgraded to the head of ladies wear she got to choose if she wanted to move into the in-shop apartment or live somewhere outside the shop. As she and Moray were to marry soon, it would be best to still stay at The Paradise, so they could pick out a place to live together when they were married.

Meanwhile, Denise finished brushing her hair and then she moved on to take off her clothes and change into her white soft nightgown. Evenings were her favourite time, if she were not talking to Moray at the moment, they two would still be in the shop, sitting at a quiet bench, holding hand like two lovers meeting in secret.

Sometimes he would take her out to the theatre or just a nice restaurant, anywhere with him was bliss. Denise smiled as she folded her clothes, whilst remembering the time Moray kissed her on the cheek in a restaurant, which caused the old ladies who were sitting nearby to gasp. It's funny how a simply gesture can cause so much scandal.

Just as she had put her uniform away, she heard a knock on her door. Who could it be? The girls were out and Moray…she quickly walked up to the door, it was probably Arthur, coming to deliver a letter. As she opened the door, her face lit up even before she had formed a coherent thought in her mind.

Propriety sunk in as she noticed how close they were and she was only wearing her nightgown, so she turned towards her bed to grab her robe but he grabbed her wrist before she could move.

"May I come in, please?" He asked pleadingly as he looked in her eyes, as their eyes met, no one could deny the intense connection that formed between them; it was as if nothing existed but themselves alone, it was heaven on earth, the purest form of love.

"Ye-yes" Stuttered Denise, she followed him into the room, where he went to sit on the same chair she had vacated a few a minutes ago. He was so handsome, the way his dimples showed when he was thinking deeply, or the habit he had of pushing his hair back when he was slightly nervous.

She stood in front of him, her arms crossed against her chest. She didn't want to fight any longer, she could see now that he was worried too, and she always knew that he would want to cause her harm. He probably had more worries than her, she was happy being the head of ladies wear, where as he was demoted to manager, and everyday he could see The Paradise move on without him.

Their eyes met again, and Denise moved closer towards him and he took her in his arms. It was sweet reunion; words were not needed to convey their emotions, she was happy to remain in his arms forever.

He pulled her down into his lap and kissed her softly. John had missed her immensely, and by having her in his arms, he realised how foolish he had been to grow distant from her in the first place. After a short while Denise looked up at John, her fingers swept through his short, mahogany hair as she tried to think of what she could say to him.

However, the silence was calming, she wouldn't mind keeping quiet for a while longer as there were much better things to do instead…

**Hello everyone! Just to give a heads up: I will be posting a collection of one-shots, and La Renaissance De Le Coeur (quite a mouthful) is going to be the official title of the collection and it basically means the revival of the heart in French, so I interpret it as giving second chances or having an awakening of some sorts.**

**I don't really have a specific timetable, I'll upload when I get the time to write and please do favourite/follow if you **_**genuinely like the story,**_** so no obligations! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Be True To Me

"Please Denise, listen to me" He puts his hands on either side of my face but I cannot look him in the eyes.

"No John, I cannot for you have said enough" I reply as I move away, I can see his eyes widen at the loss of contact.

"I have done no wrong," He says as he moves closer again.

"Well then, would you say that we are in this situation because you have been right the whole time?"

With saying this I leave the room, I have no words to say to him, what did he think I would have assumed, if he kept on meeting Katherine Weston without telling me? Surely he does not need my permission to visit her, he is a grown man but there is a stark difference in letting me know rather than lying to me about it! He could have been doing anything! I hate to think about what could've potentially been…

I had been too absorbed in my own thoughts when I accidentally bumped into Dudley. He saw my tear stained face, and as perceptive as he is, he knew something was wrong. Without asking, he gently led me into his little office and sat me down. Almost immediately he pushed the tissue box near me, I couldn't help but let out a strange mid-cry laugh. Oh he was so thoughtful.

He sat across from me and said:

"What seems to be the problem now?"

"Everything" I replied and we both laughed. I don't know why I was finding laughter within my misery, maybe because all this was so pathetic. Why would he be going back to _her_? He needn't have given up The Paradise if he wanted to end up with _her_, he could have married her instead. Dudley was probably thinking the same thing, and as he had known Moray for longer I gave him a chance to speak.

"Denise, you may not believe this at the moment but Moray does love you, very deeply I might add. You should've seen his face when he came back after meeting with you. It was a look of utter despair, of defeat even, he look like a man who had lost everything. Can you try and see that?" He looked at me with that honest expression of his. Everything is fair in his eyes.

When I said nothing, he continued to resume his warm-hearted speech. I may as well listen to what he had to say; I had nowhere else to go. As much as a dear friend Clara and the rest are, they don't understand my situation as well as Dudley. Love may be universal but being in love is very different. The bond you have with a person is only between you two and no one else. When you feel like it is about to break, it's as if your heart has been shattered into tiny pieces, and you must figure out how to join them again but it's not easy, because they would have swept them up before you.

"What I mean to say is, I do not justify his secret meetings with Katherine, but he didn't mean to harm you, oh no. I do not know what his business is with Fenton and Jonas but I do know it is all for you. He wants you to be happy. He tried hard Denise, and at this time what he needs is support, and you're his constant amidst this array of change" He put his hand on top of mine, as if to emphasise what he meant even more.

"Do you see what I mean, Denise?"

"Yes"

"Good" After Dudley said that I got up from the chair and put my hand on his shoulder before I left the room. He is truly a good friend. Nor he or I justify what has been going on but no one can deny the fact that he needs support. I remember when I was along, vulnerable to the malice of the world, their mean words were like thorns rubbed against my skin and if there were someone there for me, John in particular, then everything would've been better. I will be the better person and go talk to him. I must not judge.

I found him in the last place I would've looked for: in my room. He was holding close the shawl he gave to me as a present. It probably reminded him of me.

"Oh, John" I said as I went to him. He had not yet sat down, so I went up to him and hugged him. It felt… It was as If I could feel his pain, his feelings seeped through, to me. I put my hands on either side of his face and pulled him towards me, kissing him with all the strength I had. Even that would not be enough to prove him of my love for him.

"Denise…" I cut him mid-sentence and said:

"I love you John"

With saying that, he pulled me in for another searing kiss; this was even more passionate than the one before, if that was even possible.

"I cannot tell of what is limitless," I continued as I looked at him in the eyes.

"Oh, I am fortune's fool!" John replied quoting Romeo, from Romeo and Juliet.

"My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite" I counteracted his reply with another quote from the play by Shakespeare.

We both looked at each other for a moment before smiling. We really do resemble Romeo and Juliet at the moment, ridden with misunderstands, but unlike them we will have a happy end. It is not too late to clear our misunderstandings.

"Now from where shall I begin? John asks, as he caresses my hair. We are both lying on my bed, both comfortable as one can be. I want to be ready for this.

"From the beginning" I simply reply as I hold his hand with an encouraging smile. He needs to know I am there for him.

**There's that! I hope you enjoyed my second ever Morise one-shot! I hope I am not making it **_**too **_**sappy. Please to leave a comment about what you thought. **

**I felt obliged to make another one, to cushion our hurt over Morise fighting **** Episode 6 was sad…but this is my version of what would have happened. I have tried to not make Denise sound very passive, I just want to convey that Moray is at a vulnerable stage and albeit all of what he has done wrong, he needs to redeem himself. After all no one is perfect. **


	3. Chapter 3

The fact that I was 40 weeks pregnant did not get in the way of my job at The Paradise. I wouldn't necessarily call it a job anymore…Moray and I had both succeeded to take over the ownership of The Paradise from Weston. I cannot describe that feeling in words of conquering something that great. Soon after Weston left in a disgraced state, back into the arms of his dear Katherine I suppose we could rejoice.

That now leads me to the present. It would be imprudent to say that I have had a happy ending because it is not yet over. I have managed to live for the present and forget the follies of the past. That is why I feel even a modicum of respect towards Katherine Glenden- Weston sorry. They have their own little family now, with a little addition of a baby brother…I wonder what sex my will be. Moray and I often think It to be a little girl, she would be head strong and brave, she would make her way in this man's world with ambition and consequent success…she would have power. Of course we would love to have a boy as well, that would be perfect in its own way, who wouldn't want a little Moray running all over the place (hint hint: I would).

John hasn't particularly been happy about me waddling around on my own, he cares deeply for me I know but I cant help but be annoyed, even after that fateful slap little more than a year ago, he stands to be protective. Oh well he is _my _protective little fool. I rest my hands on my big belly, slightly moving them around, caressing my much loved bump, and I feel a response: the baby kicks its legs and I smile in response. As much as I love this correspondence between us I am ready to see he/she in person. 40 weeks is a long time to be together and when you cannot bend down or when you cannot see your own feet, you want the baby in your arms instantly.

I am currently sitting on the purple armchair in Clara, Susie and Myrtles room. The store has closed but John is still working and I told him to get me when he was done. He must love the fact that I've been so needy recently. Although I'm not sure if he likes it when I order him (nicely) to make me a fruit platter in the dead of night. I just cannot get enough of watermelons and as it's currently the middle of November, there isn't much watermelon around…

"So Denise, have you thought of any names for the baby?" Susie asks me excitedly as she folds away her work clothes.

I sit up straighter for I feel a bit queasy but It must be nothing.

"Uhh yes, but John and I haven't decided on anything permanently, he says he wants to look at the face and decide then, to which I agree but I think…Alexander would be a good name for a boy and perhaps Colette for a girl" I reply.

"Oh that would be so sweet!"

"It would indeed". Moray says. I turn around to seem him standing in the doorway and my heart swells with joy. My smile seems to get bigger every time I see him.

"Finally, you're here!" I respond as I _try _to get up, but of course whilst carrying another human being, it is hard to do. John comes and helps me up and I don't like to admit it, but I wouldn't have gotten up that quickly if it weren't for him. I put my arm through his after saying goodbye to the girls and we make our way downstairs towards the carriage to go home.

Until the latter months of my pregnancy John and I used to walk home together, it was refreshing in the night breeze, to clear our heads and just talk about the days activities but now, as much as I loved to walk, I couldn't for long periods of time and also I was extremely slow. Though saying that I do love the feeling of knowing that I will have a baby soon in my arms, a perfect mixture of John and I, forever immortalising our love.

Once we are outside the dormitories, we both stop walking and John faces me, we both stand like that for a while, taking each other in; his eyes are full of love. Eventually he puts his arms around me and pulls me close, or really he pulls _himself _close to my belly. We both kiss and he rests his hands on my stomach.

"I hope you're not putting your mummy in too much trouble" He says with a smile, and his dimples appear, oh he is so handsome!

"Hah you need not worry John, the baby has been absolutely fine, although I do feel a bit different". As soon as I say "different" his head pops up, anxiety setting in.

"Different? How so? You aren't feeling any pain are you, Denise?"

"No, John look at me, I am absolutely fine, there is no pain, and it's just that I feel that the baby will be here soon. I can feel it" I reply soothingly.

I put my hands on top of his as If to reassure him that I am fine, and I am. It's just that my maternal instincts are already setting in.

"Then let us go to the comfort of our own home, where you can explore your feelings more" John replies in jest and we both laugh.

**Hope you enjoyed this my darling readers! This one-shot was done on the request of 'mylittlechapion' on Tumblr. **

**Do excuse any annoying grammatical mistakes I make, as I am falling asleep whilst typing this. I wanted to post it this week, just after the 7****th**** episode of The Paradise aired. I wont give any spoilers for those who haven't watched but these one-shots are meant to please **


	4. Chapter 4

Boat Ride On The River Seine

I dip my hand into the water as I lay down in the boat with my head resting on John's lap. The gentle motion of my hand swirling in the water is so calming. It's almost as calming as the temperate swing of the boat as it moves slowly along the river. Being here with John, in Paris is wonderful, after all this is where he was born and where he spent most of his childhood. I can hear the accordion being softly played in the background and I start to hum to it, the melody of the accordion intertwines with my hum, creating a harmony of some sorts.

John stops caressing my face and I look up, wondering why. I look up to see him smiling at me, perhaps in awe of my humming talents surely.

«Tu es très jolie, ma chérie quand tu chantes » *

I smile in reply as I bring his hand between my own, closing my eyes again. I understood what he said but it's nice to revel in the silence. Since we've been together, John always speaks in English with me but in moments like this, when his guard is down, his romantic side comes out.

Now you may be wondering, how on earth did I learn to speak in French? Well mainly due to Moray, I pestered him relentlessly to teach me, and he did, although I may not be fully fluent yet, I think I'm pretty close to it.

«Et tu es toujours beau, chéri »* I say with a smile with my eyes still closed.

"You learn quick," He says as he plants a kiss on my forehead.

"Only from the best" I wittingly reply. I love this relaxed conversation between us. It is so different from almost a year ago, when everything almost fell apart. Now I understand why it is so hard for two people in a relationship to work together, there is always some sort of competition and in order to get the upper hand you destroy everything in-between.

If I had taken on Moray's offer of taking over what he won of The Paradise, it wouldn't have been fair, sure it could've become _mine_ but it would never have truly been a paradise. Moray started it, and he deserves what he worked hard for, and I am quite happy with my little beauty emporium. The creams are selling well and often I tease Moray about the fact that I've stolen an awful lot of his customers!

After a while I sit up to face Moray, and we both stare at each other for a short while. Even if I had left him, I couldn't have loved another, there is no one else in the world that understands me better than John, and there is no one else in the world with whom I would want to be. Sure Moray is very handsome, but he is also someone very special, he not only has the brains to succeed but also the ambition. He had nothing when he started The Paradise and look where he is now.

"I almost wish we were butterflies, and lived but three summer days. Three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain". John says as he moves closer to me, our faces are so close together that I can feel his warm breath on my face.

"Three days would not be enough to love you, I would need many more," I reply as I move closer and our lips are almost touching now.

Moray leans in and we kiss. Oh what a joy it is to be alive.

***That phrase in English means: 'you are very pretty my darling, when you sing'**

***The other phrase in English means: 'And you are always handsome, darling' **

**Hope you enjoyed this little one-shot! I don't think it's the best I've ever written but it's more like a filler because I've been super busy this week so I haven't had a chance to sit down and write properly. I have got the next one in mind, and it's a request…so do look forward to that! That shall be posted on the weekend **

**Happy Morise! **


	5. Chapter 5

The Imperfectly Perfect Wedding (Part 1)

It is finally here. My wedding day. I am going to be called Denise Moray instead of Miss Lovett. How strange it sounds, yet I can't help but marvel at the smoothness of the pronunciation, it's as if we were meant to be together and we are.

My uncle Edmund is going to walk me down the aisle and I couldn't have chosen a better person myself. John's best man is Dudley, his loyal best friend whom we both adore. Although John and I consider ourselves to be _modern,_ we still chose to get married in a quaint little church just on the outskirts of the town.

It's surrounded by a beautiful meadow filled by lavender plants and the purple hues alongside the white daisies make such a beautiful sight. A gust of wind brings everything to life, it's as if the flowers are preforming their own little dance, and their conductor is the sun.

I suppose getting married in the summer does have its advantages. First of all, I don't have to worry about wearing twenty different layers of clothes to keep me warm, so I've chosen quite an elegant lace dress, which creates a perfect silhouette, and funnily enough I ditched the corset! Well I did say I was a _modern _woman. I want my wedding day to be joyful and not stressful!

The meadow too will come in handy for the reception. John and I decided to opt for an outdoor reception, as it would be a shame to overlook the peaceful field and who needs to conform to societal expectations and hold your reception in a stuffy old house? My gown is perfect for a game of sardines and perhaps even a bit of running around…but do not worry, we have not forgotten The Paradise.

We are planning to do an after-party the next day (Sunday) just for all the workers that we couldn't fit onto the guest list. Speaking of guest lists, you may be wondering if we invited Katherine Weston and co. and we did but they graciously declined, which was expected but I really don't hold much against them now; they seem happy with their newborn son and daughter, Flora. I guess time does heal all wounds.

All this excitement makes me smile, which leads to me getting funny looks from my bridesmaids. I gently lift my veil up to drink a glass of water and Clara does not look very happy about that.

"Denise! I spent thirty minutes setting your veil, now look what you've done!" Clara is always the perfectionist.

"Sorry! I hardly think you should be telling off the bride on her wedding day. I've got enough nerves to deal with already," I say with a slight smile. Nothing can upset my mood, not even the fact that the wedding cake had a little accident in the wee hours of the morning and lets just say that right now it's going through a complete reconstruction. I don't even know if John knows about this, but oh well, who cares about wedding cakes. Actually Myrtle does, she did spend two days making it, and it wasn't even her fault that the cake got pushed over. I'm not going to blame anyone but Arthur was feeling very energetic.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm feeling a bit tetchy too" Clara says as she comes over and gives me a hug, being careful to not ruin my dress. That follows onto a hugging session from all my other bridesmaids which are: Pauline, who came from Scotland* to join us, Susan, Dudley's 2 little daughters Bridget and Linda, Clara of course, Lizzy, Colette and Cathy. The last three are my good friends from John's social circle, which you may think to be haughty, but they are all very welcoming and sweet.

"You look so beautiful", Linda says to me, which is so sweet of her. She too looks like an angel with her white little dress and a flower crown on top of her head. Both little sisters look absolutely adorable. I decided that all my bridesmaids should have their hair half-up and down so it creates a sense of flow and freedom. I too have nearly the same style but it had to be altered of course to fit in the veil.

We keep talking for a few minutes and then it's time to go to the church! After quickly rushing into the carriage, which by the way is not a good idea if you have a delicate lace dress which is prone to get caught easily around sharp edges. My hands start to shake a bit, as I'm so close to marrying the love of my life! I've never felt so complete, or so happy ever. Sure starting my own business and watching it grow has brought immense elation, but without John I would definitely be unhappy.

The journey itself is very enjoyable. The girls try and make jokes to distract me, and it works to a certain extent but as soon as the carriage starts to slow down my hands start shaking again, the butterflies in my stomach only flutter faster.

Two seconds later, I'm already out of the carriage and my hand is resting in the nook of my uncles' arm and we are standing at the entrance of the church. I look at him and he smiles encouragingly, and his hand squeezes mine slightly. I feel more composed as I know he will keep me secure so I'm less likely to fall flat on my face. The doors of the church are wide open and I'm standing near it, taking in the view.

The sun is shining bright, illuminating my dress and it makes me feel so special. The church itself looks so rustic, the faded green doors make it look even prettier and the simple yet elegant interior adds to the beauty of it. I smile wider with each step I take…I'm getting closer to John, I wonder what he will think when he first see's me.

Finally I see him. He looks even more magnificent than before, if that's even possible. He is smiling wide, which of course make his dimples appear and I cherish this moment even more because I know he's only smiling for me. How great it is to be in love. My uncle leads me to him and he puts my hand in John. I look up at him, our gaze's lock and I feel more confident.

"Take care of her", my uncle says.

"With all my heart, Edmund" John replies as he looks at me with an intense look of love.

I lift off my veil with the slight help of John, which garners multiple "awwws" from the guests, which is quite sweet.

The rest of the ceremony goes to plan apart from the fact that Arthur the great ring bearer nearly manages to drop the rings when he's coming up to the alter, but as I love Arthur and am not one of those over the top brides I didn't get angry and besides Moray and I couldn't stop looking at each other.

"Now I pronounce you husband and wife," The preacher says.

As _modern _as we are, we also sneak in a little kiss. Most of the people cheer for us, but there are some gasps, which I'm guessing are from the old reserved aunts. Who cares, when you are in love?

* I'm just making up the fact that Pauline is travelling all the way from Scotland, as there was not plausible theory as to why Pauline disappeared.

**Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this one-shot and as you have guessed by the title, this is going to be in 2 to 3 parts depending on my mood. This was the wedding and the next one is going to be based upon the outdoor reception in the meadow and the last one, if I don't put them in one, will be about the totally crazy after-party, which may feature some unexpected guests…**

**Anyways this was based upon a request by 'Nicolax' on Tumblr and I hope you enjoy it! **


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